From Period Inc – May 28 is Menstrual Hygiene Day

Menstrual Hygiene Day is May 28th!

Period Inc. is supporting menstruators in need and making menstruation a normal part of life by 2030. Each purchase of a Period Poverty Awareness Bracelet supports TWO menstrual cycles for someone in need.

Order yours today at period.org/shop! 🩸💝

 

 

NOW Hear This

NOW Hear This: May 26, 2023 Newsletter

Message from National NOW President Christian F. Nunes

 

Greeting Feminists,

 

Yesterday marked three years since George Floyd was brutally murdered by police. In that time, promises of advancing racial justice were made, broken, and largely forgotten by our leaders. 

 

Law enforcement officers continue to target and brutalize Black and brown Americans with relative impunity. Legislative efforts to ensure accountability and curb violence have stalled or have been defeated. And there are still too many people in power who deny systemic racism even exists.  

 

Inaction has put more lives at risk, led to more fatalities, retraumatized communities of color, and sowed deeper distrust in our justice system.  The only way to truly honor George Floyd’s legacy is to implement real, substantive reform. 

 

We cannot allow our leaders to continue to overlook acts of brutality committed by the police against people of color. We must continue this fight by pressing our elected officials to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, once and for all.

 

In solidarity, 

Christian 

 

 

NOW On The Record

Over-the-Counter Contraception is a Necessity 

May 11, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – – In a historic move, an FDA advisory committee of outside experts unanimously voted to approve nonprescriptive contraception for over-the-counter (OTC) use. Sixty-three years since the FDA first approved hormonal birth control medication, this no-prescription birth control pill can vastly expand reproductive justice for all women. 

Nonprescription, over-the-counter contraceptives are safe and have been available in more than 100 countries for years. Once formally approved by the FDA, this decision will provide a critical lifeline to marginalized women living in rural areas, on reservations, and in poverty-impacted communities. With increasing attacks on our reproductive freedoms, this news could not have come at a more critical moment. More than ever, women need better access to resources that empower them to take control of their reproductive decisions moving forward.

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the nation’s leading membership-based advocacy group dedicated to defending women’s rights, advancing equality and combating injustice in all aspects of social, political and economic life. Through educating, mobilizing, and convening a vast network of grassroots activists across the country, NOW advocates for national, state and local policies that promote an anti-racist and intersectional feminist agenda. Since its founding in 1966, NOW has been on the frontlines of nearly every major advancement for women’s rights and continues to champion progressive values today. More about NOW’s efforts and resources is available at NOW.org.

In solidarity,
Christian F. Nunes
President

NOW Partnering With One Fair Wage

We are excited to announce that NOW is partnering with One Fair Wage in their work to better wages and working conditions in the service industry because worker’s rights are always a feminist issue.

 

One Fair Wage is a coalition which includes all workers for whom tips are considered wage replacement and they conduct policy advocacy, voter engagement, worker and employer organizing, and culture shift activities to ultimately lift millions of tipped workers out of poverty nationwide and engage them in the political process that governs their lives. The concept of one fair wage is often associated with the restaurant industry, where many tipped workers are paid a sub-minimum wage and therefore rely on tips as a significant portion of their income. Advocates of one fair wage argue that the sub-minimum wage plus tipping system creates an unfair and unpredictable income for workers.

 

NOW has been devoted to standing up for women’s rights for years! We are dedicated to encouraging young activists to step up and learn everything they can to keep the needle moving in the right direction. One Fair Wage, led by Saru Jayaraman, has created a summer program called “Freedom Summer 2023” in hopes to mobilize 100 students for 8 weeks. The goal is to help advance racial, economic and women’s’ rights in the state of Ohio. Freedom Summer’s headquarters include: The Ohio State University, Cleveland State University, and University of Cincinnati. This opportunity will allow students to get out in the field, gain experience from those who have dedicated their lives for the fight for equality, and meet like-minded activists who will eventually become lifelong friends. 

 

If you know a young feminist who will benefit from this experience, we urge you to share this flyer

Medication Abortion Access Threatened by Texas Judge – NOW led the Effort to Bring Medication Abortion to the U.S. – Help Us Fight This

THE ISSUE

In less than two weeks, there could well be no access to one of the safest methods of abortion available, medication abortion, now used in a majority of abortions in the U.S.  – and widely used around the world. An anti-abortion organization, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, filed a lawsuit in November demanding that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdraw their approval of medication abortion. The judge has set a briefing deadline for February 24th.

See link below for full details.

Medication Abortion Access Threatened by Texas Judge – NOW led the Effort to Bring Medication Abortion to the U.S. – Help Us Fight This 

Black History Month

February marks the start of Black History Month! And while this month is a chance to celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of Black Americans, it is also a reminder that we must continue in the fight for racial justice.

Contra Costa NOW 2022 Scholarship Winners

CONTRA COSTA NOW AWARDS SECOND ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ACCOMPLISHED WOMEN OF COLOR

Contra Costa NOW is pleased to announce the winners of their second annual university scholarships.  The scholarships, for $1000 each, were earmarked for two women of color based on their academic and social-activism accomplishments.

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous NOW member who provided the funds for a second $1000 scholarship, we were able to offer two scholarships.

FNU Tsamchoe, 37, who was born in India of Tibetan refugee parents, will be attending Contra Costa College in Fall 2022.  She is working towards a career in nursing.

Delaney Ruiz, 22, was born in Mexico.  She will be attending Samuel Merritt University and is also planning a career in nursing.   Both scholarship winners endured the hardship of immigrating to a new country, learning a new language, serving their communities, and pursuing academic careers with great success.

According to Contra Costa NOW´s president, Jeanette Cole, “We are so pleased to be able to award our second annual university scholarships to two such deserving women.  We specifically endowed the scholarships for women of color who not only had achieved impressive academic honors, but also demonstrated a strong embrace of social activism for the betterment of their communities.  NOW has a long history of supporting young women and marginalized women, and the board of the Contra Costa  NOW hopes to continue our efforts to provide financial support for women’s education in the future.”

The chapter´s Scholarship Committee received several excellent applications, and hopes to continue the scholarship initiative.

If you wish to make a donation for our 2023 scholarship fund, please click Donate

OR

Send your check made payable to Contra Costa NOW to:  PO Box 4794, Walnut Creek, CA  94596

 

FNU Tsamchoe

Delaney Ruiz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update On Our 2021 Scholarship Winners

After selecting the recipients of our 2022 Contra Costa NOW university scholarships, we decided to check back with our first 2 winners of the 2021 scholarships.  We are pleased to acknowledge that both continue to succeed in their academic initiatives, contribute positively to their respective communities, and progress notably in the pursuit of their career goals.

Sia´h Fanta Jimissa

Sia´h just finished her second year at UC Berkeley and is currently finishing up her application for the Public Health major.  Sia´h´s extracurricular activities include serviing as the K-12 Recruitment Coordinator for the Black Recruitment and Retention Center, a student organization that hosts programs to encourage Black students to pursue and complete college. She was able to create and host programs including a scholarship and a shadow day for Black high school students.  This summer, she is participating in the UCSF Children’s Hospital’s Student Summer Research Program, an especially valuable opportunity for a Public Health major.

Thyra Anastashia Cobbs

Thyra is currently double majoring in African American studies and History, and minoring in African studies at UCLA.   She is in the Honors program, the Academic Achievement Program (AAP), and the Bruin Scholars program for foster youth/students who have been in guardianship. She has also been accepted for the McNair Research Scholars program and is currently researching the effects of Afrocentric psychological interventions on UCLA’s Black population. Next spring quarter, Thyra will be teaching a student-led seminar on Afrocentric Black Psychology through the Honors Program.   She is also engaging in student activism and leadership, having been appointed as the Transfer Coordinator for the African Student Union and will soon be applying to serve as the Campus Director of Mental Health in UCLA’s student government.

Photos for ROE #BansOffOurBodies March at the State Capitol

 

 

 

ROE #BansOffOurBodies March and Rally

Meetup in Martinez & Bus to Sacramento
Action groups from across the East Bay will attend the Bans Off Our Body March & Rally at the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento.  Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC) has generously agreed to cover the cost of buses for those who would like to ride together (masks required on board).
Waiver forms will be available and required.

Location: Martinez CourtHouse
725 Court St, Martinez, CA 94553

Time: Meetup at 8:30
Buses Leave at 9:30 Sharp

Agenda
8:30 – Gathering at Martinez Courthouse
8:40  – 9:15 Engaging speakers will rally the crowd
9:15 – move to buses or cars to drive to Sacramento
9:30 – Buses leave (no latecomers)
11:00 – March & Rally in Sacramento
3:00 – Buses leave Sacramento returning to Martinez (no latecomers)
4:00 – Buses arrive in Martinez  (time is approximate)

More details about speakers to follow  –

Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bans-off-our-body-meetup-bus-to-martinez-tickets-335787799347

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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